Surgical drape

ABSTRACT

Disposable, self-adhering, sterile surgical drape prefolded in a manner to be openable by grasping and pulling release strips without need for touching the drape material itself. The opened drape presents an adhesive portion toward the patient to permit removably securing the drape in the position desired.

United States Patent 1 Collins SURGICAL DRAPE [75] Inventor: Robert F. Collins, Barrington, lll.

[73] Assignee: The Kendall Company. Walpole.

Mass.

[22] Filed: Sept. 11, 1974 [2l] Appl No.: 505,017

[52] U.S. Cl 128/132 D [51] Int. Cl. .4 A6" 13/00 [58] Field of Search l28/l32 D, 292, 296, 157,

l28/l32 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Doyle l28/l57 1 June 17, 1975 3.625.205 l2/l97l Madden etal l28/l32 D Primary Examiner-Lawrence W. Trapp Attorney. Agent. or Firm--Powell L. Sprunger; Jacques M. Dulin [57] ABSTRACT Disposable, self-adhering, sterile surgical drape prefolded in a manner to be openable by grasping and pulling release strips without need for touching the drape material itself. The opened drape presents an adhesive portion toward the patient to permit removably securing the drape in the position desired.

11 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures PATENTEDJUN 1 7 1915 Ili- SURGICAL DRAPE FIELD This invention relates to the field of surgical drapes,

more particularly to self-adhering disposable drapes 5 BACKGROUND Surgical and other medical treatment procedures require septic preparation (prepping) of portions of the body. The prepped area is isolated from non-involved areas by drapes. Heretofore, drapes were secured to each other. to the patients skin, to the patients surgical garment, to the surgical table, or other special supports. The securing was ordinarily done by metal clips.

The drapes were cloth toweling, requiring sterilization before and between usage, as did the clips. This procedure has become increasingly expensive as labor, handling and material costs have risen. Cloth draping, being of toweling material which frays with age and wear, leads to potential lint contamination of the surgical area or the incision. Further, the toweling did not present a fixed border, as it was not adherable along its edge. As a result, septic areas could be exposed, or septic garments could protrude therefrom, and surgical tools misplaced or hidden thereunder.

Disposable, mass-produced paper fibrous drapes have recently been introduced to reduce the cost factor. These drapes may be presterilized, or sterilized just prior to use. Further, some such drapes are provided with adhesive portions for adhering to the patient. An example is Madden US. Pat. No. 3,625,205 which employs a double-fold pocket arrangement for opening and has an adhesive along half its width. When the drape is opened, the adherent strip is facing the doctor and must be reversed to face the area to which the drape is to be secured. This means the drape must be transferred to a second person, or the arms must be crossed in an awkward position. Another alternative is that the drape must be layed down and picked up again in a reversed manner. Further, a short fold is presented on the outer surface, and again instruments can be misplaced thereunder. The use of adhesive strip along only a limited portion of the drape edge also means that loose ends must be secured by clips or the like.

The Madden construction is such that the release paper is also secured permanently to a portion of the drape. In order for the release paper on one flap to match the adhesive on the central area, precise folding of the drape during manufacture must be done. Further, mistaken attempts to remove the release paper on the assumption there is additional adhesive area to be revealed thereunder results in tearing the drape material, producing a useless drape, or one that can contribute torn pieces or lint as prep site contaminants.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,206 shows a fenestrated drape with spot areas having adhesive overlayed with peelable protective material. As with the US. Pat. No. 3,625,205 drape, opening leaves the adhesive areas on the wrong face, the protective paper is individually peeled off prior to unfolding, and the drape reversed.

There is therefore a need for an improved surgical drape that is self-adhering, yet which is folded in a manner that upon unfolding automatically reveals the adhe sive areas in an orientation that permits direct placement of the drape without loss of sterility.

THE INVENTION OBJECTS It is an object of this invention to provide an improved disposable surgical drape that is self-adhering and simple to apply to the desired area during draping without having to reverse the drape.

It is another object of this invention to provide an improved woven or non-woven type surgical drape that is prefolded into an easily storable packet.

It is another object to provide a cheap, disposable non-woven fibrous or non-fibrous type drape for surgical or other medical procedures that is self-opening, and has an adherent material presented in the immediate use position.

It is another object to provide a self-adherent surgical drape of the non-woven type that is prefolded to preserve surgical integrity of at least one side, and in which the adherent portion is presented in a ready-to-use position automatically upon opening.

It is another object to provide a self-adherent surgical drape that is easily sterilizable and disposable after use.

Still other objects will be evident from the description which follows.

DRAWINGS The description herein will have reference to the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the self-adherent surgical drape of this invention in the opened position with the adherent portion presented to the patient for use;

FIG. 2 shows a top view of one side of one embodiment of the drape of this invention showing the fold lines, adherent strip and release strip;

FIG. 3 shows the drape of FIG. 2 in a partially folded condition;

FIG. 4 shows the drape of FIG. 3 with the drape further folded;

FIG. 5 shows the drape of FIGS. 1-4 in the completely folded condition just prior to opening;

FIG. 6 shows the drape of FIG. 5 partially opened;

FIG. 7 shows the drape of FIG. 5 half opened, prior to the stage shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 8 illustrates a second embodiment of the drape of this invention in the folded condition, with a reverse fold of the bottom portion of the drape to assist in protecting the sterile integrity of the patient side of the drape; and

FIG. 9 shows the second embodiment drape of FIG. 9 in the partly folded condition to better illustrate the reverse fold.

SUMMARY The drape of this invention comprises one or more sheets having a patient side and a working side, with one or more adhesive areas or strips on the side facing the patient in use. The adhesive areas are covered with protective strips of peelable material, such as plastic, plasticized or waxy paper and the like. The strips have tab-like extensions permitting grasping by the doctor, technician or scrub nurse for automatic opening of the drape while simultaneously peeling off the protective strip and revealing the adhesive areas or strip(s) in the ready-to-use position, i.e., facing the patient. By this construction, the drape may be immediately secured in place without transferring to a second person, crossing arms, or iaying the drape down, repositioning arms. and picking the drape up again.

The drape shown herein is a simple surgical drape, and is by way of illustration and not by way of limita tion. Accordingly, it should be understood that the principles of this invention are applicable to other kinds of drapes, fenestrated drapes, and the like. Likewise, the drape material may be woven, non-woven, fibrous, non-fibrous (such as open or closed cell foam), plastic, cellulosic, laminated or homogenous, natural or synthetic, and the like.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION FIG. 1 shows drape 1 in the completely unfolded condition about to be placed on prepped area 2 of patient 3 to isolate an area of surgical or medical interest. Drape I comprises a sheet 4 having a working side 5 and a side 6 facing the patient 3 on which the adhesive 7 is placed. Optionally. the drape may have a flap 8 which results in a doubling of the drape thickness in the area of work surrounding the prepped area. This permits more wear and stress resistance, as well as greater fluids absorbency at the region of need. As shown, the drape is held in the hands 9, 10 by release tape tabs l1, 12. In this manner the drape can be precisely positioned without requiring touching the sterile patient side 6. Upon initial positioning, the balance 13, 14 of the release tapes are pulled off and the drape secured by pressing along the upper margin 15 on the working side.

FIG. 2 shows the drape of FIG. 1 in an unfolded condition. The drape sheet 4 has top edge 16, bottom edge 17, and side edges 18 and 19. Generally parallel to the top and/or bottom edges 16, 17 is a lateral fold line 20 that defines a working surface 5 and a flap 8. Underside 6 faces the patient. The flap surface 8 shown faces the patient in this embodiment in the drape use position, but it may in the alternative be folded back on face 5 with the adhesive portion and release tapes placed on side 6. As shown in this embodiment, adhesive portion 7 comprises a continuous or intermittant bank extending the full width of the drape. The adhesive portion is covered by release tapes 13, 14, the inner portions of which abut or overlap slightly at juncture 21 and termi' mate in tabs ll, 12. The drape also has a central vertical fold line 22, a left side vertical fold line 23, a right side vertical fold line 24, and a second lateral fold line 25 disposed in the major working surface portion 5.

FIG. 3 illustrates a partly folded drape of the embodiment of FIGS. 1 and 2. Minor portion (flap) 8 has been folded under along fold line 20. Then a left portion 26 defined between vertical fold line 23 and side edge 19 is folded back over the working face 5. A portion of the release tape is visible along the upper margin 15. Right side portion 27, defined between edge 18 and fold line 24, is shown being folded back over the sterile working surface 5. Edges l8 and 19 may substantially meet at centerline 22, may overlap, or be spaced laterally from centerline 22 as shown.

FIG. 4 shows the next stage of folding the drape. A bottom portion 28, defined between edge 17 and second lateral fold line 25, is folded up over the side portions 26, 27. The bottom edge 17 may meet, overlap, or be spaced down from fold line 20, as desired.

FIG. 5 shows the final fold of the drape of FIG. 4 along centerline 22. This is the preferred size and orientation of the drape as received by the doctor, scrub nurse. or technician from the prestcrilized package. The centerline edge 22 with exposed tabs ll, 12 faces the patient.

Following in sequence FIGS. 5, 6, 7 and I show the opening of the drape in use. With the folded drape of FIG. 5 oriented with the tabs toward the area of use (patient), the tabs 11, 12 are grasped by the hands 9, 10 (FIG. 6). The bottom portion 28 unfolds along fold line 25, and the side flaps 26, 27 begin to open. As the tabs ll, 12 are pulled, the release tapes l3, l4 pull away from adhesive area 7 and simultaneously open the drape. This is best shown in FIG. 7. In some instances the exposed surgical area should have a curved, irregular or arcuate border. With the drape partly opened as in FIG. 7, it may be positioned on the patient to form such a border.

Continued pulling of the tabs completes opening of the drape as shown best in FIG. 1, and it may be held and positioned on the patient by the release tapes. The tapes are then pulled free from the end areas adjacent edges 18, I9, and the margin 15 pressed down to firmly adhere the drape in the position of use. The tapes are discarded. Optionally, the very ends of the tapes near edges 18, 19 may be sealed to the drape, remaining out of the way under fold 8.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show a second embodiment of the drape of this invention in which bottom portion 28 is folded over patient side 6 and, optionally, at least a portion of the flap 8. Starting from FIG. 3, after the side portions 26, 27 are closed over the working side 5, the bottom portion 28 is folded under along fold line 25 over side 6 rather than over the side folds, 26, 27 (see FIG. 9). The result is the completely folded pack of FIG. 8, which opens analogously to FIGS. 6, 7 and l.

The adhesive area may be placed on the major portion 5 of the drape rather than on the minor portion (flap) 8, by disposing it below fold line 20. The drape is then folded analogously to that shown in FIGS. 1-9, e.g., by reversal of fold 22. Likewise, the portion 8 may be enlarged or reduced in size, e.g., reduced to the width of adhesive area 7 and substantially covered with adhesive and the release tapes.

It should be understood that various modifications within the scope of this invention can be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit thereof. I therefore wish my invention to be defined by the scope of the appended claims as broadly as the prior art will permit, and in view of this specification if need be.

I claim:

1. An improved self-adhering drape for surgical or medical-type procedures, comprising a. a sheet of material having a plurality of edges, in

cluding at least one side edge,

b. a first fold line disposed between said edges defining a major and a minor portion,

0. an adhesive area on said drape disposed adjacent first fold line, and extending to said side edge,

(1. a taping releasably secured to said adhesive area,

e. said taping having at least one tab,

f. said tab, taping and adhesive being cooperatingly disposed so that said adhesive is revealed on the side of said drape facing the area of use upon release of said taping.

2. An improved drape as in claim 1 wherein said drape has at least four edges, two of which define the lateral extent of said drape, said first fold line extends between said lateral edges. said drape includes a second fold line generally paralleling one of said lateral edges, and said taping having at least two segments each terminating in tabs 3. An improved drape as in claim 2 wherein said tabs are disposed adjacent said second fold line.

4. An improved drape as in claim 3 wherein said adhesive is disposed as a strip on said minor portion.

5. An improved drape as in claim 4 wherein the width of said strip is less than the width of the minor portion, and extends laterally substantially the entire width of said drape.

6. An improved drape as in claim 3 wherein said adhesive is disposed as a strip on said major portion,

7. An improved drape as in claim 6 wherein said drape is substantially rectangular, and has a top edge, a bottom edge and two side edges, said first fold line is disposed down from said top edge, said second fold line is disposed substantially at right angles to said first fold line and is located substantially along a centerline of said drape. and which includes a third and a fourth fold line, each of which is disposed respectively between said central second fold line and a side edge, and a fifth fold line disposed between and generally parallel to said first fold line and said bottom edge.

8. An improved drape as in claim 7 wherein the area of said drape between said fifth fold line and said bottom edge defines a bottom portion of said major portion of said drape, said major portion has a working side and a patient side, and said bottom portion is folded over said working side in the folded condition.

9. An improved drape as in claim 8 wherein the area of said drape between said fifth fold line and said bottom edge defines a bottom portion of said major portion of said drape, said major portion has a working side and a patient side, and said bottom portion is folded over said patient side in the folded condition.

It]. A drape as in claim 1 wherein said drape is fenestrated.

11. A drape as in claim 8 wherein said drape material is non-woven. 

1. An improved self-adhering drape for surgical or medical-type procedures, comprising a. a sheet of material having a plurality of edges, including at least one side edge, b. a first fold line disposed between said edges defining a major and a minor portion, c. an adhesive area on said drape disposed adjacent first fold line, and extending to said side edge, d. a taping releasably secured to said adhesive area, e. said taping having at least one tab, f. said tab, taping and adhesive being cooperatingly disposed so that said adhesive is revealed on the side of said drape facing the area of use upon release of said taping.
 2. An improved drape as in claim 1 wherein said drape has at least four edges, two of which define the lateral extent of said drape, said first fold line extends between said lateral edges, said drape includes a second fold line generally paralleling one of said lateral edges, and said taping having at least two segments each terminating in tabs.
 3. An improved drape as in claim 2 wherein said tabs are disposed adjacent said second fold line.
 4. An improved drape as in claim 3 wherein said adhesive is disposed as a strip on said minor portion.
 5. An improved drape as in claim 4 wherein the width of said strip is less than the width of the minor portion, and extends laterally substantially the entire width of said drape.
 6. An improved drape as in claim 3 wherein said adhesive is disposed as a strip on said major portion.
 7. An improved drape as in claim 6 wherein said drape is substantially rectangular, and has a top edge, a bottom edge and two side edges, said first fold line is disposed down from said top edge, said second fold line is disposed substantially at right angles to said first fold line and is located substantially along a centerline of said drape, and which includes a third and a fourth fold line, each of which is disposed respectively between said central second fold line and a side edge, and a fifth fold line disposed between and generally parallel to said first fold line and said bottom edge.
 8. An improved drape as in claim 7 wherein the area of said drape between said fifth fold line and said bottom edge defines a bottom portion of said major portion of said drape, said major portion has a working side and a patient side, and said bottom portion is folded over said working side in the folded condition.
 9. An improved drape as in claim 8 wherein the area of said drape between said fifth fold line and said bottom edge defines a bottom portion of said major portion of said drape, said major portion has a working side and a patient side, and said bottom portion is folded over said patient side in the folded condition.
 10. A drape as in claim 1 wherein said drape is fenestrated.
 11. A drape as in claim 8 wherein said drape material is non-woven. 